Process and apparatus for annealing sheet glass



D. ADAMS April 17, 1934.

1,955,163 PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR ANNEALING SHEET GLASS Filed July 20, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ATTORNEY D. ADAMS PROCESS KND' APPARATUS FOR ANNEALING SHEET GLASS" Filed July 20. 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Dame-l Adams ATTORNEY April 17, 1934.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR ANNEALING SHEET GLASS Daniel Adams, Evanston, 111., assignor to Libbey- Owens-Ford Glass Company, Toledo, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application July 20, 1931, Serial No. 551,856

24 Claims. (01. 49-47) g The present invention relates to an improved integral with the back of plate 11 and disposed process and apparatus for annealing sheet glass vertically at opposite sides of the leer are the conor other sheet material. duits 14 in communication with the interior of It is an aim of this invention to provide a novel said leer through the lateral openings 15 and 16 5 process and apparatus for annealing sheet glass positioned above and beneath the path of travel wherein the said sheets can be thoroughly and of the glass sheets 13. uniformly annealed while being passed through The vertical conduits 14 carried by the closure an annealing zone or leer at a relatively more plate 11 extend downwardly beneath the bottom rapid speed than heretofore possible. '7 of the leer as indicated at 1'7 and 18 and comlo Another important object of the invention is m ni With a Casing 19 Within Which i ou to provide a process and apparatus wherein the a suitable blower 20, this blower being driven glass sheets are protected against undue loss of from a motor 21 through reduction gearing loheat from the surfaces thereof, whereby to precated in the gear housing 22. The air being vent the said surfaces from cooling off in advance blown upwardly through the conduits l7 and l8 is of the inner body portion of the sheets, thereby into Conduits 14 and thence into is ad p reducing the liability of breakage and the seted to be heated by means of suitable burners or ting up of stresses and strains in the glass durhe like 23. mg annealing, The end wall 10 for the exit end of the leer is A further object of the invention is the proviof substantially the same construction as wall 9 2o sion of a process and apparatus wherein a stream and comprises a plate 24 constituting a closure of heated air is caused to flow through the am for the corresponding end of said leer and having nealingzone or leer in the same direction as the a horizontal slot 25 therein through which the movement of the glass sheets therethrough and sheets may be removed. Carried by or formed inin contact with the surfaces thereof, the stream e l W he back i this plate d arranged as of air at the entrance end of the leer being of subat each side of the leer is a vertical conduit 26 stantially the same temperature as that of the having lateral openings 27 and 28 communicating sheet as it is passed thereinto, with the said air with the interior of the leer'above and beneath stream being cooled at the same rate as that of the path of travel of the glass sheets. The verthe glass, whereby a uniform annealing of the tical conduits 26 carried by Closure plate 24 p 30 sheets may be achieved. ject upwardly beyond the top 6 of the leer as ine Other objects and advantages of the invention dicated at 29 and 30 and communicate with a will become more apparent during the course of casing 31 within which is located a conventional the following description when taken in connecsuction device 32 driven from the motor 33 tion with the accompanying drawings, through suitable reduction gearing contained 35 In the drawings forming a part of this appliin the housing 34.

cation and wherein like numerals are employed The sheets of glass 13 may be supported and to designate like parts throughout the same, conveyed through the leer upon a series of hori- Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through zontally aligned rolls 35 driven in any desired an annealing leer constructed in accordance with manner. Arranged within the leer above and 40 the present invention, and beneath rolls 35 are a plurality of spaced trans- Fig. 2 is a front end view thereof, partially versely extending bafiie members or plates 36, broken away. a said baflle plates being carried by the top and Referring now to the drawings in detail, the bottom walls 6 and 7 and inclining in the direcannealing oven or leer is designated in its entiretion of travel of the glass sheets. It is to be 45 ty by the numeral 5 and, as shown, is of the connoted, however, that the adjacent free ends of tinuous tunnel type including the top 6, bottom the baffle plates are spaced from the glass sheets 7, and vertical side walls 8, preferably formed of to provide unrestricted passages at the top and a suitable refractory material. The leer is also bottom thereof. Positioned between adjacent provided with the end walls 9 and 10 which are baffie plates and in relatively close proximity to 50 preferably of metal. The end wall 9 at the enthe top and bottom of the leer and extending trance end of the leer comprises a plate 11 contransversely thereof are a plurality of pipes 37 stituting a closure for the corresponding end of through which is adapted to be circulated a suitthe said leer and having a horizontally disposed able cooling medium such as water or the like. slot 12 therein through which the glass sheets In carrying out the present invention, there is 55 13 may be introduced. Carried upon or formed adapted to be passed through the leer 5 in the same direction as the travel of the glass sheets 13 therethrough and in surrounding relation thereto a heated stream of air which is adapted to assist in the annealing of the glass. This air is forced upwardly by the blower 20 through the conduits l7 and 18 into conduits 14 and thence through openings 15 and 16 into the leer above and beneath the glass sheets. This air is then caused, upon operation of the suction device 32, to travel horizontally through the leer in substantially surrounding relation to the glass sheets and in contact with the surfaces thereof as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 1, the air being drawn outwardly of the leer at the exit end thereof through openings 27 and 28 into conduits 26 and thence through conduits 29 and 30. The air being forced into the leer at the entrance end thereof is adapted to be heated by the means 23 to a temperature substantially equal to the temperature of the glass sheets as they enter the leer. For example, assuming the sheet upon entering the leer to be of atemperature of substantially 1500 degrees Fahrenheit, the air being forced into the leer by the blower will also be heated to a temperature of 1500 degrees Fahrenheit. During the flow of the air stream longitudinally through the leer, a suitable cooling medium is adapted to be circulated through the pipes 37, and the metal baflie plates 36 are adapted to pocket air therebetween so as to keep the stream of heated air away from the cold pipes. The glass, however, will lose heat rapidly by radiation to the cold pipes 37 and the air stream will be caused to cool at the same rate as the glass, thereby protecting the glass against undue loss of heat from the surfaces thereof. Inasmuch as the air stream is cooled at the same rate as the glass sheet, it will be of substantially the same temperature as the said sheet when removed from the leer. Thus, if the sheet upon emerging from the leer has a temperature of approximately 200 degrees Fahrenheit, the air being withdrawn will be of substantially the same temperature.

Due to the provision of the stream of air in surrounding relation to the sheet, and the cooling of this air stream at the same rate as the glass, it will be readily apparent that the glass will be thoroughly and uniformly annealed and that the setting up of stresses and strains therein, which might be caused by a too rapid cooling off of the glass surfaces in advance of the body portion thereof, will be obviated. Moreover, with such an arrangement it is possible to pass the glass sheets through the leer relatively more rapidly than has been heretofore possible.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as the preferred embodiment of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

I claim:

1. An annealing leer of the continuous tunnel type, including a series of horizontally arranged rolls for supporting and conveying sheet material to be annealed therethrough, means for effecting the positive movement of a stream of air through the leer from one end thereof to the other above and beneath the sheet material and in contact therewith, and means for heating the air prior to its introduction into said leer.

2. An annealing leer of the continuous tunnel type, including a series of horizontally arranged rolls for supporting and conveying sheet material to be annealed therethrough, means for setting up a continuous flow of air through the leer in the same direction as the movement of the sheet material therethrough above and beneath the same and in contact therewith, and means for heating the air prior to its introduction into said leer.

3. An annealing leer of the continuous tunnel type, including a series of horizontally arranged rolls for supporting and conveying sheet material to be annealed therethrough, means for effecting the positive movement of a stream of air through the leer from one end thereof to the other above and beneath the sheet material and in contact therewith, means for heating the air prior to its entrance into said leer to a temperature substantially equal to the temperature of the sheet material entering the leer, and means for effecting an equal cooling of the air and sheet material as they travel through said leer.

4. An annealing leer of the continuous tunnel type, including a series of horizontally arranged rolls for supporting and conveying sheet material to be annealed therethrough, means for setting up a continuous how of air through the leer in the same direction as the movement of the sheet material therethrough above and beneath the same and in contact therewith, means for heating the air prior to its entrance into said leer to a temperature substantially equal to the temperature of the sheet material entering the leer, and means for effecting an equal cooling of the air and sheet material as they travel through said leer.

5. An annealing leer of the continuous tunnel type, including means for supporting and conveying sheet material to be annealed therethrough, mechanical means for effecting the positive movement of a stream of air through the leer in substantially surrounding relation to the sheet material and in contact therewith, means for heating the air prior to its entrance into said leer to a temperature substantially equal to the temperature of the sheet material entering the leer, and means disposed within said leer out of the path of travel of the air and sheet material therethrough for effecting a simultaneous and equal cooling thereof.

6. An annealing leer of the continuous tunnel type, including means for supporting and conveying sheet material to be annealed therethrough, mechanical means for setting up a continuous flow of air through the leer in the same direction as the movement of the sheet material therethrough and in contact therewith, means for heating the air prior to its entrance into said leer to a temperature substantially equal to the temperature of the sheet material entering the leer, and means disposed within said leer out of the path of travel of the air and sheet material therethrough for effecting a simultaneous and equal cooling thereof.

7. An annealing leer of the continuous tunnel type, including means for supporting and conveying sheet material to be annealed therethrough, mechanical means for effecting the positive movement of a stream of air through the leer in substantially surrounding relation to the sheet material and in contact therewith,means for heating the air prior to its entrance into said leer to a temperature substantially equal to the temperature of the sheet material entering the leer, and a plurality of spaced cooling members extending transversely within said leer above and beneath the path of travel of the sheet material for effecting a simultaneous and equal cooling of the sheet material and air as they move through the leer.

8. An annealing leer of the continuous tunnel type, including means for supporting and conveying sheet material to be annealed therethrough, mechanical means for setting up a continuous flow of air through the leer in the same direction as the movement of the sheet material therethrough and in contact therewith, means for heating the air prior to its entrance into said leer to a temperature substantially equal to the temperature of the sheet material entering the leer, and a plurality of spaced cooling members extending transversely within said leer above and beneath the path of travel of the sheet material for effecting a simultaneous and equal cooling of the sheet material and air as they move through the leer.

9. An annealing leer of the continuous tunnel type, including means for supporting and conveying sheet material to be annealed therethrough, mechanical means for effecting the posi tive movement of a stream of air through the leer in substantially surrounding relation to the sheet material and in contact therewith, means for heating the air prior to its entrance into said leer to a temperature substantially equal to the temperature of the sheet material entering the leer, means for effecting an equal cooling of the air and sheet material as they travel through said leer, and means for preventing the stream of heated air from coming into contact with said cooling means.

10. An annealing leer of the continuous tunnel type, including means for supporting and con veying sheet material to be annealed therethrough, mechanical means for setting up a con- M tinuous flow of air through the leer in the same direction as the movement of the sheet material therethrough and in contact therewith, means for heating the air prior to its entrance into said leer to a temperature substantially equal to the teml i. perature of the sheet material entering the leer,

veying sheet material to be annealed therethrough, mechanical means for efiecting the positive movement of a stream of air through the leer in substantially surrounding relation to the sheet material and in contact therewith, means for heating the air prior to its entrance into said leer to a temperature substantially equal to the temperature of the sheet material entering the leer, means disposed within said leer out of the path of travel of the air and sheet material therethrough for effecting a simultaneous and equal cooling thereof, and a series of hafile memhers disposed above and beneath the sheet material for pocketing air therebetween to maintain the stream of heated air passing through the leer away from said cooling means.

12. An annealing leer of the continuous tunnel type, including means for supporting and conveying sheet material to be annealed therethrough, mechanical means for setting up a continuous flow of air through the leer in the same direction as the movement of the sheet material therethrough and in contact therewith, means for heating the air prior to its entrance into said leer to a temperature substantially equal to the temperature of the sheet material entering the 'leer, means disposed within said leer out of the path of travel of the air and sheet material there through for efiecting a simultaneous and equal cooling thereof, and a series of same members disposed above and beneath the sheet material for pocketing air thereloetween to maintain the flow of heated air passing through the leer away from said cooling means.

13. An annealing leer of the continuous tunnel type, including means for supporting and conveying sheet material to he annealed therethrough, mechanical means for setting up a con tinuous flow of air through the leer in the same direction as the movement of the sheet material therethrough and in contact therewith, means for heating the air prior to its entrance into said leer to a temperature substantially equal to the temperature of the sheet material entering the leer, means disposed within said leer out of the path of travel of the air and sheet material therethrough for effecting a simultaneous and equal cooling thereof, and a series of baffle members disposed above and beneath the sheet material for pocketing air therehetween to maintain the how of heated air passing through the leer away from said cooling means, said haitle members inclining in the direction of travel of the sheet material through said leer.

14. An annealing leer of the continuous tunnel type, including means for supporting and conveying sheet material to he annealed therethrough, end walls for the leer, each including a plate constituting a closure for the corresponding end of said leer and having a conduit carried thereby and communicating with the leer, means associated with the conduit of the front end wall of the leer for forcing air into leer, and suction means associated with the conduit of the wall at the exit end of the leer for withdrawing the air therefrom.

15. An annealing leer or" the continuous tunnel type, including means ior supporting and conveying sheet material to he annealed therethrough, end walls for the leer, each including a plate constituting a closure for the corresponding end of said leer and having a conduit carried thereby and communicating with the leer, means associated with the conduit of the front end wall of the leer for forcing air into said leer, suction means associated with the conduit of the wall at the exit end of the leer for withdrawing the air therefrom, and means for heating the air prior to its entrance into said leer.

16. An annealing leer of the continuous tunnel type, including means for supporting and conveying sheet material to he annealed therethrough, end walls for the leer, each including a plate constituting a closure for he corresponding end of said leer and having a conduit carried thereby and comrmuiicating with leer, means associated with the conduit of the front end wall of the l er for forcing air into said leer, suction means associated with the conduit oi the wall at the exit end of the leer for withdrawing the air therefrom, means heating the prior to its entrance into said leer, and means within the leer for effecting an equal cooling of the heated air and sheet material.

17. An annealin leer of the continuous tunnel type, including means for supporting and conveying sheet material to be annealed therethrough, end walls for the leer, each including a plate constituting a closure for the corresponding end of said leer and having a conduit carried thereby and communicating with the leer, means associated with the conduit of the front end wall' of the leer for forcing air into said leer, suction means associated with the conduit of the wall at the exit end of the leer for withdrawing the air therefrom, means for heating the air prior to its entrance into said leer, means within the leer for effecting an equal cooling of the heated air and sheet material, and a plurality of spaced baffle members arranged transversely within the leer for pocketing air therebetween and preventing the heated air from coming into contact with said cooling means.

18. An annealing leer of the continuous tunnel type, including means for supporting and conveying sheet material to be annealed therethrough, end walls for the leer, each including a plate constituting a closure for the corresponding end of the leer and having vertical conduits carried thereby at opposite sides of said leer and communicating therewith through lateral openings above and beneath the path of travel of the sheet material, means associated with the conduits of the front end wall of the leer for forcing air into the said leer, means associated with the conduits of the wall at the exit end of the leer for withdrawing the air therefrom, means for heating the air prior to its entrance into the leer, a plurality of spaced cooling members extending transversely within the leer above and beneath the path of travel of the sheet material and air therethrough, and a plurality of spaced baffle plates also extending transversely within the leer and inclining in the direction of travel of ie sheet material therethrough for pocketing air therebetween whereby to prevent the heated air from coming into contact with said cooling members.

19. The process of annealing sheet glass, which consists in carrying the sheet in a definite substantially horizontal path through an annealing chamber on constantly shifting separated lines of transverse support, in setting up the positive movement of a stream of air through said. chamber in the same direction as the movement of the sheet therethrough above and beneath the and in contact therewith, heating the air prior to its entrance into the annealing chamber to a temperature substantially equal to the temperature of the sheet upon entering the chamber, and in effecting a simultaneous and equal cooling of the air and sheet as they travel through said chamber.

20. The process of annealing sheet glass, which consists in carrying the sheet in a definite substantially horizontal path through an annealing chamber on constantly shifting separated lines of transverse support, in setting up the positive movement of a stream or" air through said chamber in the same direction as the movement of the sheet therethrough above and beneath the same and in contact therewith, heating the air prior to its entrance into the annealing chamber to a temperature substantially equal to the temperature of the sheet upon entering the chamber, in providing mechanical cooling means within said chamber, causing the glass sheet to lose heat by radiation to said cooling means, and in maintaining the stream of heated air out of direct contact with the cooling means.

21. An annealing leer of the continuous tunnel type including means for supporting and conveying sheet material to be annealed therethrough, means for effecting the positive movement of a stream of air through the leer in the same direction as the movement of the sheet material therethrough above and beneath the same and in contact therewith, means for heating the air prior to its introduction into said leer, and means within the leer for restricting the cross sectional area of the stream of air passing therethrough to less than that of the leer and for maintaining the cross sectional area of the said stream substantially constant throughout the length of said leer.

22. An annealing leer of the continuous tunnel type including a series of horizontally arranged rolls for supporting and conveying sheet material to be annealed therethrough, mechanical means for eifecting the positive movement of a stream of air through the leer in the same direction as the movement of the sheet material therethrough above and beneath the same and in contact therewith, means for heating the air prior to its introduction into said leer, and a series of bafiie members arranged within the leer above and beneath the path of travel of said sheet for restricting the cross sectional area of the stream of air to less than that of the leer and for maintaining the cross sectional area of the said stream substantially constant throughout the length of said leer.

23. An annealing leer of the continuous tunnel type including means for supporting and conveying sheet material to be annealed therethrough, mechanical means for effecting the positive movement of a stream of air through the leer in substantially surrounding relation to the sheet material and in contact therewith, means for heating the air prior to its introduction into said leer, and a series of battle members positioned above and beneath the path of travel of said sheet material, the bafiie members in each series being spaced substantially equal distances apart throughout the leer and being of a uniform length.

24. An annealing leer of the continuous tunnel type including means for supporting and conveying sheet material to be annealed therethrough, mechanical means for effecting the positive movement of a stream of air through the leer in substantially surrounding relation to the sheet material and in contact therewith, means for heating the air prior to its introduction into said leer, a series of baffie members carried by the top and bottom walls of the leer and positioned above and beneath the path of travel of said sheet material, the baiiie members in each series being spaced substantially equal distances apart throughout the leer and being of a uniform length, and a plurality of cooling pipes positioned between adjacent baiile members in relatively close proximity to the top and bottom of the said leer and extending transversely thereof.

DANIEL ADAMS. 

